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Amar’e Stoudemire Would Accept a Sixth Man Type of Role When He Returns to the New York Knicks

November 29th, 2012 at 6:30 PM By Pete Kennedy

Sources have reported that Amar'e Stoudemire would be OK with not starting and anchoring the second unit of the New York Knicks. Amar'e would most likely become the sixth man on the team if this were the case.

The New York Knicks success this season is a big reason why Amar'e would say this; he is a smart man and knows his will to help the team win is more important than his own wants and needs. He seems to be buying into the ways of the rest of the New York Knicks, led by Carmelo Anthony, wanting to win above all else.

Amar'e Stoudemire must have realized the cohesiveness and effort of the New York Knicks this season and wants to do nothing more than to add to that. The New York Knicks at 10-4 have been very dominant, besides a few games, this season and Amar'e Stoudemire wants help to continue the success.

Remember after Amar'e's meltdown last season in the playoffs how embarrassed he was? and how the fans were very tough on him? He does not want that again. He want to be adored and loved by the fans just as he was in his first season as a New York Knick.

Well, there is nothing better he can do than to help his team win to get the fans back on his side, and he must believe that if this is what the team wants, he should do it with 100% effort.

Now that we know Amar'e Stoudemire is willing to come off the bench of coach Mike Woodson sees fit; we'll have to see how he works him into the rotation and when.

Many believe that Amar'e and Carmelo Anthony don't work that well together. Additionally, some believe Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler don't work that well together as a PF/C combination. But, if Amar'e Stoudemire were actually to come off the bench, it would give coach Mike Woodson many options to get Amar'e involved without him getting in the way of Carmelo Anthony or Tyson Chandler.

Another source states that the Knicks are hesitant to take Jason Kidd out of the starting lineup. I believe that using Amar'e Stoudemire off the bench can be very beneficial for the New York Knicks and he can provide solid minutes off the bench while bringing a spark on Offense. We have seen other teams have success with bringing one of their top 3 players off the bench. For example, James Harden for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Manu Ginobili for the San Antonio Spurs, and Jason Terry for the Dallas Mavericks.

This can work for the New York Knicks, and if Amar'e Stoudemire buys into this and buys into winning like a lot of his teammates have already seemed to do, Knick fans can expect more success coming from their team.

This problem on where to play Amar'e Stoudemire is one I would call a good problem. Amar'e, though he is coming off of a down season, is still a great player. One who can make an impact immediately when he returns. But, with that being said, coach Mike Woodson will have his work cut out for him trying to figure out how and when to use his All-Star Power Forward, Amar'e Stoudemire.

Coach Mike Woodson said he will worry about it when Amar'e Stoudemire is close to returning, he wants to focus on each day at hand. But, it is something to think about and something that if done well can add to the success but if handled poorly, can blow up in the New York Knicks face.

We often forget how good Amar'e Stoudemire was for the New York Knicks and forget how good he can be when he is healthy. Here is a little reminder.